Professor Natalie Walker joined Flinders in March 2025 as Director of the Flinders Clinical Trials Platform, which is physically located within the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI). The platform supports trial research across the entirety of Flinders University.  Prior to joining Flinders Natalie was a research academic, and based within the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Auckland University, New Zealand. She was also Co-Director of the Faculty Research Centre for Translational Health Research and Co-Director of the Faculty Research Centre for Addiction Research.  Natalie is New Zealand born, and started her 30-year research career in environmental epidemiology and infectious disease epidemiology, then moved into cardiovascular disease and modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (e.g., tobacco and alcohol).

Awards/Fellowships:

• 2023: University of Auckland Research Excellence Award (Team)
• 2018-now:  Fellow of the Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco (SRNT)
• 2012-2016: Heart Foundation Douglas Senior Fellowship in Heart Health
• 2001-2003: Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, National Heart Foundation
• 1997-2000: Health Research Council Public Health Research Training Fellowship

• The design and conduct of clinical trials, especially large, pragmatic community-based trials.
• Smoking cessation interventions, including cytisine, varenicline, and reduced harm nicotine.

• Identifying affordable, practical and scalable interventions (appropriate to local conditions and populations) to improve health and wellbeing.